make preferableThe case of blogger Alexander Lapshin can become an awful precedent for citizens of Russia, Echo of Moscow radio host Yulia Latynina said.
She reminded that all the blame of Alexander Lapshin was that he went to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, then visited Azerbaijan.
“The authoritative state which is on the maintenance of Russia, does not respect us. This is the most terrible blow to Russia’s image. And it is an awful precedent as Ukraine can issue international warrant for all Russians who visited Crimea,” Yulia Latynina noted.
After his visits to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in 2011 and 2012, famous blogger Alexander Lapshin was “blacklisted” by Azerbaijan.
In June 2016, however, he paid a visit to Azerbaijan, but with a Ukrainian passport. Subsequently, he issued several articles criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities. Afterward, the Azerbaijani authorities issued an international search for this famous blogger.
On December 15, 2016, he was detained in the Belarus capital city of Minsk, and based on this international search.
Baku demands his extradition to Azerbaijan, and for visiting Artsakh.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and US Department of State Spokesperson John Kirby, however, had spoken against Lapshin’s detention and such extradition, noting the importance of upholding freedom of speech.
